Shaun Wright-Phillips believes Chelsea have been able to
maintain their relentless pursuit of Premiership leaders Manchester
United because every player feels part of Jose Mourinho's
family.
Wright-Phillips scored twice as Chelsea closed the gap on United
to three points with a 4-1 win at West Ham on Wednesday. But the
England winger is convinced it is the team's all-for-one mentality
rather than individual talent that has kept them on course for an
unprecedented quadruple.
The reigning champions underlined that comradeship with another
demonstration of their unbreakable will to win just hours after a
missile was thrown at their team coach en route to Upton Park,
shattering a window and shocking the players.
Chelsea hardly needed any more motivation to get the victory
they sought to keep the pressure on United. But just in case they
weren't sufficiently fired up, the mindless supporter provided
further incentive.
As a former West Ham player, Chelsea's Frank Lampard knows
passions can run high in east London and he said: "A window got
broken on the way. The outer layer shattered and there was a huge
bang.
"It's football. These things happen when emotions are running
high. West Ham are coming here fighting for their lives. But nobody
died so there is no point making a big deal about it."
If Chelsea really are the close-knit community that
Wright-Phillips describes, then he must be the long-lost relative
who suddenly turns up on Christmas Day.
The 25-year-old has been anonymous since his move from
Manchester City in 2005 and the fact that these were his first
Premiership goals for Chelsea merely underlined the extent of his
struggles.
In the past he has often appeared over-anxious to impress during
his cameo appearances, but for once he managed to channel his
boundless enthusiasm into a match-winning display.
While he admitted his two fine strikes gave him a measure of
personal vindication, it was their impact on the title race that
was more important.
"It's an undescribable feeling and I just have to thank the
other lads for being behind me all the way," Wright-Phillips said.
"It's only normal that the more games you play the more confident
you get.
"It was very important for us to cut down the gap again. We know
what we have to do. We have to win every game to put them under
pressure.
"The determination is unbelievable. Even if we go a goal down,
we believe we can get back into it. That's the strength we have as
a family at this club. We're always together."
(China Daily via AFP April 20, 2007)